Robertson joins call for boycott of Sri Lanka

THE Australian barrister Geoffrey Robertson has added his voice to calls for a Commonwealth boycott of Sri Lanka in protest against the impeachment of the nation's chief justice.

Mr Robertson has urged leaders not to attend November's Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Colombo, and also wants the Queen to steer clear, after Shirani Bandaranayake was declared guilty of misconduct seven weeks ago.

The issue has split other Commonwealth nations, with Canada confirming it will not go to Colombo, while Australia insists it will attend and Britain has yet to decide.

''Governments which respect the rule of law should not attend,'' Mr Robertson wrote in a report for England's Bar Human Rights Committee. ''Nor should the Queen or any royal family member provide a photo opportunity for President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Royal seals of approval serve the propaganda interests of people like this and no-shows by powerful nations would signal the unacceptability of their behaviour.''

Ms Bandaranayake was sacked by Mr Rajapaksa two days after Parliament voted to impeach her in January.

She had held up a bill that would have given greater political and financial power to the President's youngest brother, the economic development minister.

In his report, released in London on Wednesday, Mr Robertson argued the treatment of the judge ''undermines the rule of law to such an extent'' that Sri Lanka risked losing ''that independent power which is essential to make democracy work''.

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper confirmed he would not be attending the meeting if it was held in Colombo, while Britain's Foreign and Commonwealth Office Minister for South Asia, Alistair Burt, said his government had yet to decide.

''I have indicated that unless changes occur in Sri Lanka I will not be attending the Commonwealth summit there,'' Mr Harper told the Canadian Parliament this week.

He has previously raised concerns about Sri Lanka's human rights situation and said recent developments, in particular the impeachment, were ''taking that country in a worse direction''.

The Queen's attendance is a Commonwealth matter, and not a decision of the monarch or the British government.

Australia will attend the meeting despite growing calls for it to be moved, or for leaders to boycott it.

''And we would urge nations like Canada to do so as well,'' Foreign Minister Bob Carr said during his most recent visit to the country.

Australia will hold a general election before CHOGM, but the opposition is also committed to attending.